Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has paid the outstanding ₦10 million hospital bill of Nigerian author and filmmaker Onyeka Nwelue following his knee surgery earlier this year.
Nwelue shared the story on his X account on Monday while celebrating Soyinka’s 92nd birthday. He described the literary icon’s gesture as another example of the support he has received from him over the years.
According to Nwelue, the surgery cost about ₦39 million. Although he paid most of the bill, he was left with an unpaid balance of ₦10 million.
After learning of the situation, Soyinka reportedly told him, “Let me get to Lagos this Friday and see what I can send,” before requesting the hospital’s bank details to settle the debt”.
Nwelue said Soyinka personally followed up with his bank to confirm the transfer and shared proof of payment after he did not receive immediate confirmation that the funds had been delivered.
The author later contacted the hospital, where officials confirmed that the outstanding balance had been fully paid. Reacting to the gesture, Nwelue wrote, “What could I have done without him?”
Nwelue also praised Soyinka’s enduring mentorship, noting that the Nobel Laureate previously stood as his guarantor for residency in Japan and promoted his book, The Beginning of Everything Colourful, helping it gain wider international recognition.
